♪ meet you downstairs in the bar and your rolled up sleeves and your t-shirt ♪ ♪ you say why did you do with him today ♪ good evening, americans, and welcome to "the ed show," live from the north country in troix detroit lakes, minnesota. we've above the doughnut. it's 1 degree. this is "the ed show." let's get to work. as someone who spent many years in the private sector -- >> republicans want to privatize yet mother great american institution. >> you know how republicans always say that private sector does everything better? >> the private sector -- >> we should say replace the post office with fedex and u.p.s.? >> darrell issa's house oversight committee took a whack at workers again. >> the need to oversize the post office. >> two of the nation's biggest

package shippers, u.p.s. and fedex, under fire. >> u.p.s., fedex, missed christmas day deadlines, sparking outrage from customers online. >> u.p.s. stands for undelivered parcel shipment. >> how do you tell a 6-year-old she's not going to get her present for christmas? >> that's tough. >> these are the nature of private sectors. good to have you with us tonight, folks. thanks for watching. republican house oversight committee chairman, darrell issa, has made a complete fool of himself again. in his lacest witch hunt. issa is the most outspoken critic of the white house's handling of the 2012 attack on the american consulate in benghazi. a "new york times" report concluded that the raid was, by local militants, not by al qaeda or any other international terrorist group. on sunday, congress and issa stuck by his claim that al qaeda was involved. >> al qaeda is not decimated, and there was a group there that

was involved, that is linked to al qaeda. >> darrell issa consistently wrong, again and again and again. his arguments are never based in facts, yet he never gets called on it by the conservative media. issa is strictly agenda-driven. case in point. this weekend's biggest story through the holidays. u.p.s. and fedex's failure to deliver. it's the private sector. what's the matter? millions of americans got burned by private industry. u.p.s. and fedex did not deliver christmas presents on time. the main reason is because u.p.s. and fedex grossly underestimated a surge in demand from online retail sales. proof positive, well, that privatization is not always the answer. people have trusted the united states postal service for two centuries. the postal service has been responsible for delivering christmas packages and letters for more than 200 years. republicans like congressman

darrell issa have been trying to take down the postal service, do some good old american union-busting for a long time. well, congressman issa wants to end the postal service as we know it. >> i'm concerned about the post office. it's going to lose $10 billion, a lot of washingtonian think tanks saying we'll just do a bailout, fudge the figures. and we can't keep doing that. this is an organization that can be profitable, that can meet all of its responsibilities, because it's going to have to right size its work force if it's going to do it. we're not talking about pay cuts but talking about people being retired no longer needed because you and i are e-mailing far more than paper mailing. >> no, no, no. you've got it all wrong, mr. issa. and nobody is talking about a postal service bailout. what they're talking about is getting congress out of the way of the postal service. the republican religion is to not trust the government. and they preach privatization time and time again.

the financial pitch, let remind our viewers again, and the congress -- the financial pinch the united states postal service is under comes from the postal accountability and enhancement act, passed by congress in the lame duck session back in 2006. the law forces the postal service to prepay retiree health care for 75 years into the future and do it within a ten-year window. now, you don't see the private industry being forced to prepay retiree health care. how come u.p.s. and fedex aren't doing that? republicans want to run the post office right into the ground, force it to go bankrupt and take it to private when the operators know this is what they really want to do. as an independent government agency, the post office, if they were left alone, they would be able to easily compete against the private sector. the post office receives zero tax dollars for operations. postal employees are civil servan

servants. it's the only institution in america that is forced to prefund 75-year pension and health care plan within a ten-year window. know what that means, folks? this puts $5.5 billion annual, line item in their budget. who can shoulder that? the postal service would have a $1.15 billion surplus in oh 2012 without this law. but thanks to congress, this is what they're dealing with. let's get back to the christmas delive delivery catastrophe for a moment. the free market made an i don't know line driven promise they couldn't keep. these private sector shipping companies blamed a system overload due to increased online demands. they didn't anticipate it. this must sound familiar to a lot of those folks out there who hate obamacare. nobody is calling for congressional hearing into the way this system overloaded. of online orders that in the way they were handled. finger-wagging by the private sector, the cheerleaders like

darrell issa, it's all wrong. and yes, president obama's administration knew for several years, october 1st would be the drop-dead date for having healthcare.gov up and running online. but wait a minute. by the same token, private commerce and private sector, i think they know that christmas is on december 25th every single year. so what do we have here? we have a perfect example laid out in front of the american people that the private sector may have some up side. but it's not the catch-all. and the infrastructure that is offered by the united states postelal service to every address in this country is still very, very valid. at a very important time of year. did you know that 35% of what u.p.s. and fedex delivered to the american people is done by the postal service? that no tax dollars are used to run the postal service? that if they didn't have to shoulder this law that was put on them, which was set up to bust the unions back in 2006,

that they would be running a surplus. interesting how we never hear darrell issa talk about that prefund of health care in pension. it is wrong, but they're trying to kill it. and we have seen perfectly during this holiday season that there is no reason to harness the postal service with this kind of government intervention. and that is exactly what it is. so they cry about a government takeover when it comes to health care, but they never cry about a government takeover when it comes to the postal service, and oh, by the way, did your packages get there on time? you can't blame the postal service on this one. get your cell phones out. i want to know what you think. tonight's question. if darrell issa's committee wants to hold hearings on healthcare.gov, should it also hold hearings on u.p.s. and fedex? for missing the deadline? text a for yes, b for no to 67622. you can always go to our blog at ed.msnbc.com. we'll bring the results later on

in the show. joining me tonight, congressman spirit de faz oof oregon. great to have you with us tonight. i don't think that we could have a more classic example of how the republicans are wrong when they come to the conclusion that privatization is the answer to everything. about 80% of the post office's financial losses since 2007 are due to this congressional mandate to prefund 75 years of future retiree benefits over a ten-year period. congressman, what can be done about this. what's your take on this, and what should congress do at this point in the wake of what we have seen happen in the private sector over the holidays? >> well, ed, the post office has already prepaid more for health care than any other entity in the world. any other government, any other private sector entity. it should stop. as you pointed out, they would have made money this last year, if they hadn't had to prepay health care. and people can't even understand what it means. they are prepaying health care

for people who haven't been born yet, who might someday go to work for the postal service, work there their entire life and then retire. that's what they're being made to do. i mean, imagine if we impose that requirement on anything or anybody else. they couldn't to it. they would scream bloody murder. they turned a profit without that. despite the interference of congress. despite the fact that darrell issa, the postmaster general and others, are trying to degrade their service. they want to degrade the service to the point where it will take longer to deliver a first-class letter than it did during the continental congress. now they know that will cause a virtual collapse of the system. that's going to drive more and more people away. but there's no substitute for a universal postal system. the private sector can't fill that gap. >> the private sector cannot fill that gap. and what's interesting about this is that this money is going into the treasury. now, we're supposed to trust government, and we're supposed

to trust that this money is going to be there. on one handled, the conservativeses say you can't trust government. but they're willing to rob, and that's what they're doing. legislatively, they are robbing the operational procedures of the postal service, because nobody else in this country runs their outfit the way the postal service is being forced to do it. can we guarantee to these employees for years to come that this money is going to definitely be earmarked in their favor? >> no. in fact, there is no special segregated account that congress can't put its hands on. it's just like social security. it's all gone to the treasury. there is an account there that says this money is on account for the postal service, just like social security is on account for all of us who paid into it. but it's the full faith and credit of the federal government that backs that. there is no special account. this is a nonsense california requirement slipped into the dead of night in a lame duck congress of republicans when they lost control in 2006, and nobody knew it was in that bill.

it was voice voted in the house, sent to the senate as a relatively noncontroversial bill. some staffer or somebody stuck this in there, no one knew it was in there, no one knew what it meant until it started making the postal service look really bad and then the republicans started screaming time to do away with the postal service. they're losing so much money. >> congressman, where is the outrage on the post office? there's always outrage on the post office, but never any outrage on u.p.s. and fedex or dhl. i mean, is this just the way it's going to be? or is there something -- some regulation that can be put in on some of these private sector people that would level the playing field? what do you think? >> well, look, i'm not going to ding u.p.s. in fact, u.p.s. is a great partner for the postal service. they work together. they deliver packages to areas where u.p.s. couldn't profitably do it. it's profitable for the postal service, it's profitable for u.p.s. and provides better service. so, you know, what i want to do is solve the problem of the post

office. i've got a bill, 174 co sponsors, wouldn't cost the taxpayers a dime. would, in fact, improve the service, the postal service, make it into a 21st century institution. i think we've got to get rid of the guy who is the postmaster general and the other political hacks on their board. and give them a professional board that looks at new markets, new opportunities and way to make this into a viable institution. we can't do without it. people in rural america in particular, people in small business, are dependent upon those one size, one cost packages that u.p.s. and fedex can't do. these are services that we have to maintain. and you know, when you look at it, this is yet another attack on small business, and rural america. and the republicans are, you know, always carrying on about how small business and rural americans, they're about to stick it to them if they dismantle the postal service, let me tell you. >> and congressman, does your legislation deal with this prefund at all? >> oh, absolutely. it just says they've already

prepaid more than enough. when that ends, we work out a settlement on their overpayment for retirement. this would make them quite solvent for a number of years, give them the money they need to transition to -- into new lines of business, give them authority to get into new lines of business. in europe, some of the postal systems will say, hey, you've got junk mail, you can sign up for subscription, they'll scan it, they'll send it to you as e-mail. you can look and say oh, recycle it or say open it or say deliver it. the postal service saves money, because they don't have to carry it around. i mean, let them do some new and innovative things. but you've got to keep the six-day delivery. you know, that would be -- that would be a death knell. look, is amazon.com looking to slow down their packages? no, they're talking about delivering things with drones, because we're in a just-in-time delive delive delivery era. and what darrell issa is talking about, let's say up to five days for a first-class letter. that's crazy and he knows it

will kill them. >> congressman peter de fazo, oregon, appreciate your time so much. thank you. we are following breaking news from the north country. castleton, north dakota, about 20 miles outside of fargo, north dakota, emergency and firefighting crews are responding to a train derailment involving a cargo train carrying crude oil. local reports say the train was 106 cars long, many of those cars have caught fire in a series of explosions. a thick, black cloud of smoke is visible from nearly 20 miles away. officials say right now the wind is blowing. the toxic smoke away from nearby towns. of course, that could change at any moment. we'll bring you the -- of course, the latest on this developing story. and, of course, in this part of the country, the pipeline, the xcel pipeline is a big conversation. people who are against the pipeline say this is the safest

way to transport oil. i'm sure this will be a conversation piece. we'll bring you more on this as it develops. welcome back. how is everything?

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welcome back to "the ed show." this your has been a tale of two parties. democrats have spent 2013 working for the folks. and i think it shows. thanks to the affordable care act, over 1 million americans will have a happy and healthier new year. the program saw a surge in enrollment this month. what in the world is fox news going to do? 975,000 people signing up through healthcare.gov. i guess the website is working. they'll be covered starting january 1st. merry christmas. but on the other side of the aisle, the republican party has done its best to stop progress, really at every turn. republicans blame president

obama for not doing enough to fix the economy. but they've left the unemployed by the side of the road again. unemployment insurance benefits for 1.3 million americans were cut off over the weekend after congress failed to pass an extension before the holidays. the republican party is in denial about this economy. they complain on one hand, but can't have it both ways. extending unemployment insurance isn't going to change anyone's lifestyle. nobody is after your wallet. it's only going to help people. and it's not going to break the bank. we can do this. in fact, the congressional budget office says extending unemployment insurance helps the economy by increasing demand for goods and services, and workers. extending unemployment benefits through 2014 would create 200,000 jobs. now, this is according to the congressional budget office. this country is at a moral crossroads, as i see it. bottom line, we can do better. we shouldn't e>>well, if you wae

truth, ed, i think if the bill were called, if john boehner would actually call the bill, i think we might be able to extend those benefits. certainly in the senate we've got some bipartisan support, and i think in the house too. so really, if democracy were allowed to work and the majority were allowed to rule, i think we oh could actually do some good. but we've got john boehner seeming -- yet again to be in control of the tea party, and that faction. but, you know, we'll see. there's a hot of pressure being put on both houses now, to extend those benefits. >> well, you know, in john boehner's district, i was told by louise slaughter says there is a poll that says 63% of the people in boehner's district, they want to extend unemployment benefits to these americans who are now in a sense destitute and wondering what's going to happen to them. does the poll really matter? do the people matter here? i mean, the corporations have

such a tremendous grab on the republican party. i mean, right now, from what i understand, from the democrats, is that you're hoping that public pressure back home on elected officials in a possible vote in the senate to do this is going to reverse the thinking and boehner is going to bring it to the floor for a vote. that's what i -- what is being told to me from a number of different sources. is that going to happen, in your opinion? >> i think there's a good chance that it will. we certainly want your audience and americans around the country. the vast majority of whom do support extending those benefits. and by the way, also support in overwhelming numbers raising the minimum wage. that john boehner will understand that his party, his party is better off by doing these kinds of things that the american people want. >> well, and the question of how much political capital can the democrats spend on this.

harry reid says that it's a top priority when we start the new year. do you think it will be a priority for john boehner in the house? >> well, it certainly is a priority. in the senate. and therefore, there's going to be a lot of pressure put on boehner to do it. look, every month that it isn't done, 72,000 more people lose their benefits. this isn't just a one-time deal. and as you pointed out, it's really good for the economy. and the other side of that is it's really bad for the economy. if we don't extend those benefits. we could be talking about 250,000 jobs lost. so if the republicans hope to barely make the case that they really are for jobs in this country, then they're going to extend those unemployment insurance benefits. >> well, i want to talk health care for just a moment. >> sure. >> back in the bush years when we were talking about a surge, we were talking about war. now when we're talking about surge, we're talking about

health care for more americans. these enrollment numbers, before the dead line for the month of december, i believe, are very impressive. we're now closing in on 2 million people who are going to be affected by this law. what does this mean? deadlines are good, people have responded to it. what do you have to do to -- in the new year to keep these numbers coming? i mean, enrollment in the health care exchange is surging. what's your reaction to these new numbers? >> well, now we're actually on track of what we thought we were going to be when october 1st rolled around. and so i think these numbers bode really well. we are seeing a surge, 1.1 million americans now signed up through the exchanges. that is through the federal exchange. we think it's about -- it's been estimated maybe 850,000 more, closer to 1 million, through the state exchanges. and then there's 3.9 million americans who are now on

medicaid or the chip program that weren't on before. so we're talking about nearly 5 million people who have been affected now. and i think those numbers are going to continue to roll. ed, think of this. two days from now, no american will be denied health care, because they have a preexisting condition. >> pretty amazing. >> there won't be any lifetime or annual caps. women won't be discriminated against in rates. there will be a cap on how much you have to pay out of pocket. so people won't go bankrupt. this is a blessing for our country. but instead the republicans have said merry christmas, and we're, you know, going to cut you off of unemployment, and we're going to keep trashing affordable care act. it's not going to work for them. >> congresswoman jan schakowsky, great advocate for health care. and i just want to -- you just said something there in the senate that said i think we need to really underscore. >> women in the united states of america are now going to be paying the same rates for health

care as men. because of health care costs, in my opinion, they are discriminated against. they were made to pay higher rates through the private sector. that isn't going to happen anymore. and i think this is a big thing when it comes to the war on women. i hope the president really takes up the gavel and goes strong in the state of the union address, because these stories are only going to get better for the country, and i think it's the best shot the democrats have got to take in over the house. and they've got a great record to run on from the standpoint that the other guys voted over 40 times to get rid of what you and i have just talked about. i think that's on the wrong side of history. >> they made -- >> good to have you with us tonight. >> thank you. healthy, happy new year to you, ed, and your family. >> thank you, congresswoman. appreciate it. jan schakowsky of illinois with us here on "the ed show." america's favorite reality show gets its racist homophobe back in time for the new year. more on "duck dynasty" america to come.

and america's favorite canadian senator from texas is about to renounce the great white north. don't miss our pretender of the year. but next, i'm taking your questions. "ask ed live" coming occupy on "the ed show" on msnbc. [ chainsaw whirring ]

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such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. make the most of every moment. ask your dermatologist about humira, today. clearer skin is possible. welcome back to "the ed show." love hearing from our viewers. love the questions. tonight in our "ask ed live" segment, our first question comes from debby roy. what do you think of the packers winning against the bears yesterday? well, i think there's a lesson to be learned here by all nfl franchises. that if you actually pay somebody as good as aaron rodgers is, it's amazing what quality people will do. the packers have not done this on the cheap. and the packers certainly managed his injury extremely well, brought him back at the right time, fourth down down and seven. it's a touchdown. packers in the playoffs. the bears go home.

but i must say that marc trestman had a great first year and the bears are only going to get better. our next question is from liz. do you think the right wing will finally shut up about benghazi and be satisfied with the "new york times" investigation? no, i don't think they'll shut up about benghazi. i think what they're going to start doing is trashing the "new york times," trashing their credibility and the report. so this offers up i think a real opportunity for the "new york times" to get aggressive and go after any critic that takes down their report on benghazi. that would be fun to see. stick around, "rapid response panel" coming up next. we're right back from the north country on "the ed show." i'm morgan brennen with your cnbc business wrap. the dow rises 25 points to yet another all-time high. the s&p falls a fraction and the nasdaq down two points. ford says its sales are up 15% this year through november. the company also expects to hang

on to its title as the top-selling brand in north america. meanwhile, on the housing front, pending home sales ticked higher in november, the first gain in five months. but the reading still weaker than expected. that's it from cnbc, first in business worldwide. hose presents make the cut ♪ ♪ no need to chuck, donate or burn them ♪ ♪ just pack them in our flat rate box ♪ ♪ we'll come to your door and return them ♪ ♪ gifts you bought but never gave away ♪ ♪ or said you liked but thought were cheesy ♪ ♪ you don't even need to leave your house ♪ ♪ we'll come and take them, easy-peasy ♪ [ female announcer ] no one returns the holidays like the u.s. postal service. with improved priority mail flat rate, just print a label, schedule a pickup, and return those gifts at a same low flat rate.

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welcome back to "the ed show." this is a story about two americas. two americas are ripping the country apart. we're seeing the division as the "duck dynasty" scandal unfolds. one portion of america looks at phil robertson with disgust. people can't believe robertson can show his face in the sunlight after spewing out hateful remarks about gay people and minorities in this country. the other side of america holds robertson's warped ideals closer. his values are their values.

because they are scared of the other side. the hate and bigotry disguised as traditional values are being diminished by the other america, a progressive america. and i think they're afraid of that. a & e network has made a business decision and lifted phil robertson's suspension, offering up a lame public service announcement as atonement. the network issued a statement, saying they will launch a campaign promoting unity, tolerance and acceptance among all people. a message which supports the core values of the company, and the values found in "duck dynasty." for a & e, values apparently don't matter. the almighty sure as hell does. the dollar matters. standing strong against bigotry has a price. for a and e networks. african-americans and gay people, they probably don't matter, to that network, because they don't watch that show.

so where is the harm? "duck dynasty," it's niche programming. for those who think alike. and there is no down side for letting bigotry run part of their entertainment. it is really a cultural call that has been made by a & e. and i think it's one that could haunt them for a long time to come. they are now a marked network. they'll do anything for a dollar. joining me now, rapid response panel, dr. michael eric dyson with us tonight. georgetown university professor and msnbc political analyst. and also with us tonight, mike papantonio, "ring of fire" radio host. great to have you with us tonight. michael, you first. what is a & e network saying here, what statement are they making by reversing this decision? >>el with, as you brilliantly articulated ed, what they are saying is that black people and gay people don't count. they don't matter to the bottom line. they don't figure in our calculations about what we think is offensive. and as a result of the cracker

barrel crowd, that crowd that said, look, we are disgusted with you for removing the items of phil robertson and "duck dynasty." we are moreover disgusted with the fact african-american and latino and other ethnic minorities, along with gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual people have come together to say this is an outrage. and as a result of that, they have turned this into a matter of free speech. the irony, of course, they don't want more speech to counteract their negative, vicious, offensive and vitt tree olic speech. so they're mad at the fact we are challenging what they are saying and we don't have the right to free speech. a & e has made the calculation that african-american people and gay people don't matter, not only to their bottom line, but won't raise as hard a ruckus as the right wing will, and those who are very supportive of the "duck dynasty" are the very people who need that insight. and by the way, the right wing has said, look, the grandson of mr. robertson happens to be an adopted biracial child. what difference does that make?

the man who plunged a plunger deep into the behind of abner luima was himself dating a black woman. so there is no one-to-one correlation between particular domestic intimacy with a black person or person of color and the behavior that you manifest that is either just or unjust. so all of this stuff is being brought up as a result of this. >> mike, this is just a big calculation on their part, wasn't it? or do you see it differently? the only color they see right now is green. >> yeah, daddy duck and all the little ducks, first of all, are not reality in duckville. they're highly produced, highly promoted brands that created by a & e. and despite the holy mouth apologies we hear from their multimillion-dollar executives, they want this 50 shades of crazy, this moon bat talk unleashed on the screen, because, yes, it does divide america. but ed, it divides america in a way to where they can still make money from that part that they're going after.

the only people who believe that daddy duck's oddball behavior is all spontaneous are the same people who believe that world wrestling is real. it's simply a highly profitable brand, it's a commodity that producers and directors help invent. and the very fact that daddy duck has made statements suggesting that gays hate god, that shindo japanese are nazis or african-americans are attending a happy lollapalooza party when they were slaves, all that is can the kind of low-life -- the low-life trash talk that a & e producers have been cultivating for years. they're the ones who help set up the scenes, ed. they create this low trash gutter talk. and that's what they want. it sells more time on television. >> and mike dyson, doesn't this somewhat signal that there's a portion of america that is never going to accept diversity, that there is a portion of america that's always going to have a

jaded view? also robertson, i understand recently said in an interview that 15-year-old girls should have a bible in their hand and they should just stay home and have children. i mean, i just -- >> well, yeah. this is part of their sell point, isn't it? >> it's retrograde, retroactive. they're trying to keep a number of people in their places, a number of genders in their places. this is a real what they call man keyan division, us versus them. it's the rest of the world versus them. and their belief system is rooted in and deeply entrenched in a belief that says that people should adhere to narrow, preventional understandingses of religion. to suggest that gay and lesbian people are engaging in bestial performances and black people were happy during slavery is to ignore the vicious indifference and perpetuate the legacy that as long as black people should shut up, everything is fine.

the moment they begin to stand up and speak out against the kind of bigotry that's here, then all of a sudden they become problem makers and are divisive against the unity of america. >> and the danger here is that the people that follow this kind of talk don't understand the division that they are creating in america and the insensisty out there. if you have enough people behind you, you have a license to influence even more people, which i think is dangerous. but mike, is this a win for the conservative media? i mean, i'll tell you what. they circled the folks on top of the hill and they charged fast on this one. >> well, they showed they could get it done when they focused. they showed they really don't care really -- they don't care about the public opinion in a broad sense, ed. i mean, the division, for example, that you're talking -- this is a division in america that's developed beyond simple politics. and they don't really care. it also shows a division that's developed in our religion, in our churches. daddy duck's divisive view of

his religion takes a big, black, magic marker and crosses out, erases everything that's good and important about segments like matthew in our bible. >> michael eric dyson, mike papantonio, great to have you with us on "the ed show." thanks for the work you have done this year. have a great holiday, and we're back to you in 2014. great to have you guys on. >> happy new year. our pretender of the year is next. and stick around for the trenders of 2013. you don't want to miss this one. we're right back. ♪ i've got to go away ♪ baby it's cold outside ♪ honestly, my kids are hard to impress... so i got the windows nokia tablet. it's, well, impressive. it's got the brightest hd screen, super-fast 4g lte, so my son can play games and movies almost anywhere, and it's got office for school stuff. but the best part? i got the lumia 928 for my daughter for free,

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before those little pieces would get in between my dentures and my gum and it was uncomfortable. [ male announcer ] just a few dabs is clinically proven to seal out more food particles. [ corrine ] super poligrip is part of my life now.

i takbecause you can't beatrning for zero heartburn. woo hoo! to seal out more food particles. [ male announcer ] prilosec otc is the number one doctor recommended frequent heartburn medicine for 8 straight years. one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. and in pretenders tonight, some big news from the biggest pretender of the year, ted cruz. the senator from texas, by way of alberta, now says he is

giving up his canadian citizenship. hmmm. i wonder why. let's ask this year's second-biggest pretender, sean hannity, for his thoughts. sean? >> for those that may like to see you as next president, there have been questions raised about the issue of are you eligible to run for president. you were born in canada. >> well, sean, i'll leave those questions to others to worry about. >> well, ted, the real question is, what qualifies you to lead this country? cruz showed some great theatrical skills in his fake filibuster which led to a government shutdown. so senator cruz is a pretty decent actor of the just like the gipper. and the tortilla coast secret meeting had a nixonian feel to it, don't you think? plus, cruz moved to texas and sought political stardom, just like connecticut cowboy, george w. bush. teddy boy is a rerun of the worst of the gop, all in one

freshman senator. if ted cruz thinks being born in canada is the only thing holding him back from the white house, he can keep on pretending.

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time now for the trenders.

we love hearing from our viewers on social media. every day we bring you the stories you're talking about. all year long own twitter, facebook, and our blog, we bring it to you. here are this year's top trenders voted on by you. washington wizards. >> in the wizard of oz, there is a great lion. >> i have a feeling we're not in kansas anymore. >> comments at today's hearing. >> while you're from kansas, you're not in kansas anymore. >> i'll get you, my pretty. and your little dog too. >> people went to see the wizard because of the wonderful things he did. >> the great oz has spoken. >> some might actually say we're in the wizard of oz land given the parallel universes we appear to be has been at a timing. >> be gone. before somebody drops a house on you. >> halloween. >> it's carlos danger. ♪ danger >> do you still feel you can pull this out?

what are you chances of winning? >> they're good. my intention is to win tomorrow. >> the mayoral candidate doesn't think voters will leave him hanging. >> i was the underdog from the moment i got in. ♪ underdog >> i know you have this fascination about making this a soap opera. >> yes. >> but for citizens of the city of new york, a lot of them wanted this to be about the issues of the campaign. >> it's a girl. >> we also got a very good look at her cub. i'm happy to report she is beautiful. it's got a fat little belly. it's very active. it's very vocal. >> the d.c. zoo has more details about its newest member. >> i am standing in front of tian-tian who could be the father. >> we know tian-tian is the father. >> you are the father! >> oh, canada. >> toronto mayor rob ford

stunned the city. the mayor, did, indeed smoke crack cocaine. >> crack, ice, boom, pow. >> calls for him to step aside and take a leave of absence grew louder. >> crack is whack. >> i believe that the mayor should step aside zplp the mayor of toronto won't crack under pressure to resign. >> i embarrassed everyone in the city and i will be forever sorry. >> you're going to end up eating a steady diet of government cheese and living in a van down by the river. >> i know what i did is wrong. >> how can we get back on the right track? >> for the sake of the taxpayers of this great city, we must get back to work. >> sharknado strikes. >> sharknado as in what happens when you combine sharks with a tornado. >> we're going to knee a bigger vote. >> social media jumped on the bandwagon. >> 5,000 tweets a minute. >> we've created a sharknado

moment. >> now it's headed for the big apple. pork politics. >> check out the latest in the dustup between chris christie and rand pauley. >> they squeal over spending. >> oh, dear me. >> senator paul wants to look where to cut spending to afford defense? maybe look at cutting the pork barrel spending he brings home to kentucky. because most washington politicians only care about bringing home the bacon. >> this is the king of bacon talking about bacon. >> unexplained bacon. >> it's not true. >> i never feel like i get enough bacon. >> will cooler heads prevail over a few cool ones? >> if we can sit down, i'm inviting him for a beer. >> i don't really have time for that at the moment. >> oh, dear me. >> more trash talk. >> eddie shultz is back. >> i'm back. >> the fact republicans want to use the debt limit to take away your health care is downright dangerous. >> he's frothing at the mouth

against treasonest john boehner. >> the word is treason. the treasonist john boehner. >> i wonder what williams and brokaw and lauer think of this knuckle head. >> he's saying if you believe in privatization that's treason. >> going solo. >> we live in a country where if you want to drink out of a red solo cup or you want to drink out of a crystal stem, you have the opportunity to do that. >> marsha blackburn's cup runneth over with scare tactics. >> only you, red, will do for this fella. >> you can't buy an inexpensive blouse? >> where did you get those clothes? at the toilet story? >> you can't buy a pair of shoes that cost less than another pair? >> these shoes are $300. let's get them. zl come on. this is absolutely ridiculous. >> end zone. >> as i look at the end times

scripture, this says to me that the leaf is on the fig tree. >> michele bachmann lies about syria. >> president obama waived a ban on arming terrorists in order to allow weapons to go to the syrian opposition. u.s. taxpayers are now paying to give arms to terrorists including al qaeda. >> and predicts apocalypse. >> and we are to understand the signs of the times. >> that the city is headed for a disaster of libly kal proportions. >> we need to rejoice. come lord jesus. his day is at hand. >> old testament, mr. mayor. real wrath of god type stuff. >> when we see up is down and right is called wrong. >> human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together. mass hysteria! ♪ it's the end of the world as we know it ♪ ♪ it's the end of the world as we know it ♪ >> and that is "the ed show" for

2013. i'm ed shultz. we'll see you back here on thursday night when we get back to work at 2014. want to thank the ed team for all their work in 2013. we're going to have a great year coming up in 2014. you have a happy and safe new year. we'll see you on thursday night. the names of the people that make it happen on "the ed show," right there on the left of your screen. a great crew. i'm proud to work with them. the best in the business. we love being here monday through friday, 5:00 eastern for you. for the working folk of america. have a great one. we'll see you thursday night. ♪

tonight from the world fa nous rockefeller center in new york city, welcome to "politicsnation" third annual reverie awards. it's the high and lows in politics 2013 featuring appearances by the president and the first lady, ted cruz, stevie wonder, and let's not forget 2013 is the year of the selfie. with